The Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]
The Seoul Northern District Court in Dobong-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

A 24-year-old college student indicted on charges of killing her paternal grandfather with a knife admitted to the act at her first trial Friday but denied any intent to kill.

Judge Choi Gyeong-seo of the Seoul Northern District Court's Criminal Division 11 presided over the opening hearing in the case of the defendant, identified only by her surname Noh, who faces charges of patricide-related murder.

Prosecutors said Noh stabbed her grandfather in the left shoulder with a kitchen knife during an argument, causing his death, and charged her accordingly.

Noh's defense acknowledged the facts of the indictment but argued she had no intent to kill. "She acted to stop her grandfather's habitual verbal and physical abuse," the defense said. When the presiding judge asked whether she was admitting to stabbing her grandfather with a knife and causing his death but denying intent, Noh answered, "Yes."

Prosecutors said they would submit an autopsy report and a psychological assessment of the defendant as additional evidence. The court designated Noh's father and paternal uncle as witnesses to establish the motive for the crime and details of her upbringing.

Noh's father told the court that she has no siblings and that her mother, who has dementia, is currently in a care facility and is unaware of the incident.

In response, the presiding judge said the two men are also bereaved relatives of the victim but that the court needed to examine the family dynamics and the defendant's background. "If necessary, we will also conduct a defendant examination and hear directly from the witnesses in court," the judge said.

Noh appeared in court dressed in black, kept her head bowed and stared at the floor throughout the hearing, and was the first to leave the courtroom when it concluded. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14 at 11 a.m.


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